Moving Into Your First Lexington Apartment
Facts checked on September 25, 2026.
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I put this page together for anyone renting their first place in Lexington, and a lot of the people doing that every August are UK students moving off campus. The things nobody tells you are small, but they add up. Somebody has to turn on the water. A second bill shows up from the city. The carts go out on a certain night, and the couch has to go somewhere when the lease ends. Start with the search box above. Every answer was checked against the city, the utility or the agency that runs it, and each one points to the page on this site that goes deeper.
The first apartment checklist
Before you sign
- Get a written lease and read all of it. Ask the exact deposit amount, what affects its refund and when it comes back.
- Ask whether the place has city carts or a shared dumpster. Complexes with more than 7 units use dumpsters.
- If you have a car, ask whether the street is a permit parking district. Permits only go to people who live on that street. Parking near UK campus
- Decide whose name goes on the utilities. KU lets a roommate be a joint account holder.
Move-in week
- Request electricity from KU at least three business days before you need it.
- Start water with Kentucky American Water. The LEXserv sewer account follows on its own.
- Walk through with the landlord and take pictures of any damage that is already there.
- Look up your trash and recycling day. Trash pickup by address
- Update your license address within 10 days, and update your voter registration.
During the year
- Carts go out after 4 p.m. the day before pickup and come back in by 7 p.m. on pickup day.
- Report repairs your landlord will not make to Code Enforcement through LexCall 311. Who to call in Lexington
- Save the police non-emergency number for noise. It is (859) 258-3600.
Move-out
- Put a couch or mattress at the curb on your regular pickup day. Appliances need a LexCall pickup. Disposal search
- Give KU three business days of notice, and stop or transfer water with Kentucky American Water.
- Keep paying LEXserv until the bill marked FINAL arrives.
Questions renters ask
How do I set up electricity?
Most of Lexington gets electricity from KU (Kentucky Utilities). Request service on KU's website or at 800-981-0600, allow up to three business days, and have each account holder's full Social Security number ready.
Is every Lexington address on KU?
No. Some addresses in Fayette County get power from Blue Grass Energy instead. If your lease or landlord names Blue Grass Energy, start service with them.
How do I set up water service?
Start it with Kentucky American Water at 1-800-678-6301, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can manage the account online through its MyWater site after that.
Do I need to sign up for sewer service separately?
No. Most Lexington customers get two bills, and when you start water with Kentucky American Water, LEXserv gets your information and opens the sewer account automatically. The first LEXserv bill comes by mail and can run two to three weeks behind the water bill.
Do I need to sign up for trash pickup?
Homes with city collection come with a green trash cart, a blue recycling cart and a gray yard waste cart, and the monthly landfill fee is on the LEXserv bill. If your place has no cart, call LexCall at 311 to request one, and note that complexes with more than 7 units are required to use dumpsters instead.
How do I start gas service?
Gas in Lexington comes from Columbia Gas of Kentucky, if your place has gas. Start service online at least one business day ahead, or call 1-800-432-9345.
Can my roommate and I both be on the electric account?
Yes. KU's start service form lets you add a roommate as a joint account holder, and each account holder gives their full Social Security number.
What day is my trash and recycling pickup?
It depends on your address, and trash, recycling and yard waste are generally picked up on the same day. Our trash pickup page looks it up by address.
When do the carts go out to the curb?
No earlier than 4 p.m. the day before pickup and no later than 5 a.m. on pickup day, and back off the curb by 7 p.m. Space the carts 3 feet apart with the handles facing the house.
What goes in which cart?
Green is trash, blue is recycling, and gray is yard waste. Our recycling page lists what the city takes in the blue cart and has a search for anything else.
How do I get rid of a couch, mattress or furniture when I move out?
Bulky item pickup is free with city collection, and most pieces, including mattresses, go at the curb on your regular pickup day. Lay a mattress flat beside the carts, and call LexCall first if it has bugs.
How do I get rid of a fridge, washer or other appliance?
Appliances need a scheduled pickup, so call LexCall at 311 or request it online, and pickups are normally made within five business days. Take the doors off a refrigerator or freezer before it goes to the curb.
Where do I take a microwave, TV or other electronics?
The city does not collect microwaves, TVs, computers or printers at the curb. They go to the Electronic Recycling Center.
What if I have a whole truckload to throw away?
The city holds free trash disposal days for Fayette County residents at the Bluegrass Regional Transfer Station, 1505 Old Frankfort Pike, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can bring up to one pickup truckload of household waste, including mattresses and furniture.
Can I get a residential parking permit for my street?
Only if your street is a Residential Permit Parking district and you live on that street. Each household can get two primary permits and two guest permits through LexPark, at $10 each, good from July 1 through June 30.
How do I change the address on my driver's license?
You must update the address on your license or ID within 10 days of moving, and the fee is $15. Eligible drivers can do it online through myDrive, by mail, or in person at any Regional office.
Do out-of-state students need a Kentucky license?
A U.S. citizen enrolled full or part time at a Kentucky college may drive with a valid out-of-state license and a student ID. New residents who are not students have 30 days to get a Kentucky license.
How do I register to vote at my new address?
You must update your registration when you move. Do it online at GoVote.ky.gov, by mail, or at the Fayette County Clerk at 162 E. Main Street, Room 202, before registration closes 28 days ahead of each election.
Can I ride the bus for free as a UK student?
Yes. UK students, faculty and staff ride any Lextran route free by showing a valid Wildcard ID each time they board, all year. UK also runs its own on-campus bus routes.
Does UK have resources for students living off campus?
UK's Off-Campus Resource Hub gathers links for students who live off campus, from commute planning and parking permits to campus bus routes. It also links Lexington tenant services and rental assistance resources.
What should I check before signing a lease?
Kentucky's Attorney General says to insist on a written lease and not sign until you understand every obligation. Before paying a deposit, ask the exact amount, what affects its refund and when the refund will be made.
Should I document the apartment before I move in?
Yes. The Attorney General also advises inspecting the place together with the landlord before renting, and taking pictures or making a checklist of damage that is already there.
Can I stop paying rent until repairs are made?
The Attorney General warns that withholding rent can be treated as nonpayment and can lead to eviction. For repairs a landlord will not make, the city takes housing complaints through LexCall 311.
Who do I call if my landlord will not fix something?
The city's Code Enforcement division handles violations of local maintenance rules for homes and apartments. Report one through LexCall at 311 or (859) 425-2255, or online, and safety issues are handled first.
Who do I call about noise from a neighbor?
Lexington Police list loud music and barking dogs as non-emergency calls, at (859) 258-3600. Officers answer calls 24 hours a day.
Who do I call about a streetlight that is out?
Streetlights belong to the city, the state, KU or Blue Grass Energy, so the city asks you to report one on its streetlight map. Selecting the light there sends the report to whoever owns it.
Who do I call about a missed pickup or a broken cart?
LexCall, at 311 or online. The city takes missed pickups and replacement carts the same way.
How do I stop electricity when I move out?
Submit a stop or move request to KU with your account number. KU asks for three business days of notice before a change of service.
How do I stop water and sewer when I move out?
Stopping or transferring water with Kentucky American Water also updates LEXserv, so you do not call the city separately. Keep paying LEXserv until you get the bill marked FINAL, and note that moving closes any AutoPay you had set up.
Related Lexington resources
- Trash pickupYour collection day, by address
- Recycling and disposalWhat goes in which cart, and where the rest goes
- Who to callThe right number for repairs, noise, streetlights and more
- Parking near UK campusPermit districts, UK streets and towing
- Water and sewer linesThe water company, the city, and which pipe is whose
- Noise ordinanceWhat the code actually says about noise
- Leaf and yard wasteThe gray cart and leaf season
- UK student guideCity-side tools for University of Kentucky students
- Moving to LexingtonThe bigger picture for anyone new in town
- Where to watch UK gamesThe next game, the channel and bars that show it